Skip to main content

Product...

             For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I’m still reading the book about spiritual warfare and prayer, but yesterday either shifted my direction or confirmed a direction I’d been – sort of, kind of – contemplating. I went out to work on the garden and found myself irritated. There were so many weeds to pull! Then there are so many seeds to plant, pieces to root, and seedlings to buy, and none of them can be planted yet (it was 29 this morning.) I’m so far from my goal of a beautiful garden! Do you hear the complaint in my words? You should because it was there.

I tend to be reluctant to say, “Then God,” but, then God suggested that seeing things as negative just because they aren’t the desired finished product means that I’m missing out on the joy of the creative process, of the time spent with God in the garden, and of becoming the person I will become through the creative process. It’s not that the product doesn’t matter. It’s that the process does.  I feel a little chagrined, because I keep telling people “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have, now” while I’m grinding my teeth because I’m not somewhere else already.

Today’s passage is a favorite verse for many people, and I’ve written about it, possibly more often than I should. It came to mind this morning because I have tended to think of God’s knowing the plans as knowing the destination. In the end, it’ll all come out good. That’s product-thinking. God knowing the plans as in the step-by-step process of getting us where we’re going is process-thinking. It includes the idea that the process is also meant to prosper us, not to harm us, and to give us a future and a hope. It’s not just the end that comes out good.

I have pulled a number of books from my shelves to re-read this summer, to explore this idea more. 


And, I'm aware it's Easter, so here's the Eastern Concert, even if the post isn't Eastery.

Easter Concert

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more